According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines submitted a note verbale and summoned Beijing's envoy Monday after the China Coast Guard barred and sprayed water cannons at Philippine vessels on a supply mission.
Teresita Daza, a Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said the Philippine government delivered a note verbale during the summoning of Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian this morning.
The incident occurred Saturday while the Coast Guard was escorting boats bringing food, fuel, and other supplies for military personnel stationed on BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal.
The change made it impossible for one of the vessels to discharge cargo.
The country's ambassador in Beijing, Jaime Flor Cruz, also delivered a verbale note to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Moreover, the DFA said that the Philippines has filed 35 diplomatic protests this year against China's presence and actions in the West Philippine Sea.
The administration has lodged 445 diplomatic protests since 2020. The administration, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., would continue to assert the country's territorial rights.
Beijing claims practically the entire South China Sea and has defied the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 judgment that declared its claim to be without legal validity.
The United States and other partners expressed concern about China's "dangerous" activities, saying they directly harmed regional peace and stability.
The incident on Saturday was the latest in Beijing's aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea.
The coast guard, navy, and maritime militia vessels of China often obstruct or shadow Philippine patrol and supply boats.
